ATLAS TRANSLATES

For someone like Lu Yun who often made women jealous over him, he had become quite desensitized to women’s subtle tactics.

His mind was preoccupied with court affairs rather than romance.

Walking back to his courtyard with his hands behind his back, when he encountered these flirtatious cousins along the way, his first thought was — why are they blocking my path again?

He was too dense to notice the competition between his female cousins. He only noticed Luo Lingyu sitting there.

Under the scorching sun, her almost-smile was like a fresh green in a gray world, waiting for him gracefully. Despite the summer heat, he suddenly felt refreshed. Before his brain could react, Lu Yun’s feet had already moved toward her.

After drinking from the lady’s teacup, finding the fragrance in his mouth too sweet and sticky, Lu Yun’s brows furrowed deeply.

His brow bone was handsome, and when he frowned, the shadows cast on his brows hooked people’s hearts. All the beautiful ladies blushed, and Jiang Wanyi stared at his furrowed brows until she was completely dazed.

Lu Yun’s throat moved: “…Why drink this tea?”

Staring at the celadon teacup for a while, the young master’s tone carried slight disdain. He had always held her skills in high regard. If he didn’t trust her, he wouldn’t have touched tea newly prepared by others — yet she had made such sticky, overly sweet tea. And gave it to him to drink! He had to endure to avoid spitting it out.

Lu Yun felt like he had been tricked by Luo Lingyu and keenly looked over at her. When Luo Lingyu saw him frown, she knew he didn’t like the tea. Her heart skipped a beat, afraid that Lu Yun would see through her little scheme and embarrass her in front of everyone.

As soon as his expression changed, she smiled and stood up, taking the teacup from his hands: “…This is flower tea, meant for girls to drink, so naturally it’s sweeter and more fragrant. Another day I’ll choose some green tea to send to cousin.”

Lu Yun’s expression finally softened: “It’s so hot in summer, drinking flower tea — aren’t you afraid of getting heatstroke?”

Jiang Wanyi’s face stiffened on the side, as Lu Yun had been focused on talking to Luo Lingyu since his arrival. He had certainly noticed them in his peripheral vision, but merely glanced over without much reaction. It was different with Luo Lingyu though… When she spoke, Lu Yun kept watching her…

Feeling awkward, Jiang Wanyi interjected: “Cousin, we’re painting here. The Elder Madam said you had returned and asked you to guide us.”

“Cousin is such an accomplished scholar, why not evaluate our paintings?”

Lu Yun’s eyebrow twitched as he looked at Luo Lingyu: “…In this heat, you all certainly have leisure time.”

Actually, with the tree shade, cool pavilion and clear lake, it wasn’t hot at all. But since Lu Yun had just returned under the scorching sun with his summer clothes half-soaked with sweat, he found them quite idle.

Lu Yun sighed inwardly – while he was busy dealing with constant changes in the northern war situation, the young ladies at home were still eating, drinking and playing carefreely, even painting and writing poetry. But the young masters fought outside precisely to let the girls at home live peaceful and happy lives.

Thinking of this, Lu Yun felt more goodwill toward all the young ladies, his manner becoming less distant and polite.

But he still looked at Luo Lingyu: “Where is your painting? Let me see.”

Jiang Wanyi bit her lip, holding back tears as she watched that lazy Lady Luo slowly stand up, her waist as soft as willow in smoke. Lu Yun’s eyes lowered, scanning over her waist. Seeming to find it inappropriate, he moved his gaze away. Yet after moving away for just a moment, he glanced at Luo Lingyu’s waist again before following her to look at the paintings on the table.

Women are actually extremely sensitive to men’s gazes.

What he looks at, what he doesn’t look at; what he likes, what he dislikes. If a lady often observes him, it’s not hard to discover his thoughts.

Jiang Wanyi could tell that Lu Yun treated Luo Lingyu differently.

Having this thought in mind, when she later saw Lu Yun standing behind Luo Lingyu at the table looking at her painting and talking with her, Jiang Wanyi wasn’t so surprised anymore. She just watched as the young master stood behind the lady, directly reaching out and bending down to hold her hand, personally teaching her to paint, his voice clear as a spring flowing through the heart: “…One look and I can tell you haven’t painted in a long time. You’re getting lazier and lazier. Look at these bamboos…”

Luo Lingyu’s voice was gentle: “I just can’t paint well.”

Lu Yun paused, slowly giving her a look. He was about to grow suspicious, about to guess that she was using him as a tool for competition, when Luo Lingyu quickly turned her face away, avoiding his intense gaze. Lu Yun didn’t pursue it further and instead continued: “I’ll teach you…”

Spots of light filtered through the tree leaves fell upon that golden boy and jade girl, points of light flowing and scattering. Jiang Wanyi stiffly turned her face away.

The other young ladies also had varying degrees of affection for Lu Yun. Seeing him talk with Luo Lingyu that way brought some disappointment to their hearts — although they had sensed it before, seeing it in person was still hard to accept.

By evening, a lady friend came to console Jiang Wanyi, angrily speaking of Luo Lingyu: “…That fox-like face, just knows how to seduce Third Cousin. Don’t worry, the Elder Madam won’t let that kind of woman into the family.”

Jiang Wanyi couldn’t describe her feelings: “It was Third Cousin who wanted to talk to her, she didn’t do anything particular.”

The lady trying to please Jiang Wanyi said: “You’re just too kind, you can’t see how calculating she is! Let me tell you this – that Lady Luo, before you came, was always competitive, never falling behind in anything, we were all inferior to her. But after you came, she put on this modest act. Usually she’s good at everything, but suddenly she’s not good anymore, and that’s when Lu Yun started paying attention to her. Miss Jiang, don’t be fooled by her!”

Jiang Wanyi lowered her head, her heart aching with sorrow. She hadn’t figured out whether Luo Lingyu was generous and magnanimous or sinister and vicious, but she already felt Lu Yun growing more distant from her. In the past when she saw Lu Yun, although he wasn’t close to her, he treated other ladies the same way, so no difference could be seen. This time with Luo Lingyu for comparison, she realized that Lu Yun wasn’t always cold – he did have times when he would stare at a lady.

However, although she thought so much, her heart going up and down, because Lu Yun was rarely at the mansion, the war between the ladies could hardly escalate.

Jiang Wanyi, due to her good family background, was surrounded by supportive ladies. She quickly adjusted her mood and decided to keep trying, after all, Elder Madam Lu favored her.

This afternoon, after a nap, a group of ladies accompanied her to find Luo Lingyu to play.

Arriving at the lady’s courtyard, they vaguely heard talking from inside the room, and Jiang Wanyi sensitively caught the words “Third Young Master”. In the Lu family, who else could “Third Young Master” refer to besides Lu Yun?

The door creaked open, and Jiang Wanyi recognized the beautiful maid coming out, exclaiming: “Jinyu, why are you here?”

Luo Lingyu was seeing Jinyu out, the two women talking while putting on their shoes outside the door. When they turned around and saw the ladies who had come to the courtyard, both smiled in greeting.

Before the young ladies could ask, Jinyu smiled and said: “I just came to deliver some things to Lady Luo.”

Jiang Wanyi: “Did Third Cousin ask you to deliver them?”

Jinyu paused before cleverly saying: “Third Young Master isn’t home.”

She hadn’t denied Jiang Wanyi’s words, but without listening carefully it seemed like a denial. The young ladies were all masters, and Jinyu naturally couldn’t participate in battles between masters.

However, after telling the truth, she also worried these young ladies would target Luo Lingyu and bring her trouble. Having long handled Lu Yun’s affairs, even if Jinyu didn’t like Luo Lingyu before, she would cleverly make herself like her; moreover, Jinyu actually did like this quick-witted young lady.

Jinyu said in her heart: …After all, this is the person our Third Young Master cherishes most.

Jiang Wanyi was more innocent and didn’t catch Jinyu’s implied meaning, thinking that since it wasn’t Lu Yun sending gifts to Luo Lingyu, she smiled.

The other young ladies’ brows twitched as they looked at Luo Lingyu. Luo Lingyu pretended not to know and invited them in: “…I have some newly acquired pastries, please everyone taste them together and give me some feedback.”

The young ladies originally thought the pastries were sent by Lu Yun, but when Luo Lingyu said “give feedback,” they became confused again.

…They didn’t even know whether they should be jealous or not.

Friendship between girls is truly intricate, sometimes good and sometimes bad.

When Lu Yun returned to the Lu family again, it was already the eve of the Qixi Festival. No matter how busy the court was, they would be given these two days off. Some of the Lu family young masters returned to the Wuyi Lane side, some to the Danyang Lu family. After reaching Danyang, they went their separate ways. By the time they returned to Elder Madam Lu’s courtyard to pay respects, only Second Young Master Lu Xian and Third Young Master Lu Yun remained.

It was still afternoon when the two young masters went together to pay respects.

Upon entering, they saw the ladies sitting together, laughing and chatting while making qingtuan. Elder Madam Lu and other elders sat at another table, smiling as they watched the young ladies joke and laugh.

Qingtuan was a famous southern food, and Luo Lingyu only learned to make it with the ladies after coming to Jianye. Green leaves were washed and ground into paste; then late rice flour and glutinous rice flour were mixed in to make green powder balls; favorite fillings were wrapped inside and rolled into snow-white balls; finally, the delicate little balls were laid on bamboo leaves and steamed. After coming out of the steamer, they became the famous “qingtuan.”

At this moment, jade-green, round qingtuan were placed on the table, and the Elder Madam kept the two young masters here for dinner: “…You’re usually busy and rarely see each other, even relatives become distant. Now that you have time, brothers and sisters in our own family needn’t be restrained, all stay here for dinner.”

Madam Lu, who had been sitting properly beside Elder Madam Lu, looked at her son, then compared him to the radiant and elegant immortal-like Lu Yun beside him, and finally her gaze fell on Princess Liu Tang who was happily helping Luo Lingyu among the ladies.

Madam Lu was slightly anxious: “Second Son, why don’t you go see if the princess needs help? She’s a guest from afar, how can you be so impolite?”

Second Young Master Lu: “…”

Lu Xian felt so wronged.

Over there, Liu Tang’s face suddenly turned red, her hands covered in rice flour, made helpless by Madam Lu’s words: “No, no no, I just came to play casually…” Madam Lu’s fuss made all the ladies look at her, and the shy little princess was almost scared into fleeing.

Madam Lu: “…”

This Princess was good in every way, just a bit too timid. She would get shy just from someone speaking loudly, and look at that Luo Lingyu beside her… Madam Lu weighed it up and felt the little princess was still better. A daughter-in-law with a gentle nature was always better than one who was too capable and would oppose her in everything.

Lu Yun discreetly stood behind Luo Lingyu.

He hadn’t said anything, but Jiang Wanyi sitting across from Luo Lingyu already felt slightly uncomfortable. Not wanting to give Luo Lingyu and Lu Yun a chance to talk, she wracked her brains for a topic.

Seeing Lu Yun about to speak, Jiang Wanyi quickly jumped in, asking Luo Lingyu: “That pastry you gave everyone the other day was sweet and sour, and didn’t stick to teeth, quite delicious. How did sister make it, why not teach everyone today?”

Luo Lingyu’s heart skipped violently.

She knew Lu Yun was standing behind her, and had been feeling somewhat proud, but now with the young master’s burning gaze on her back, she felt some sweat forming.

But Luo Lingyu showed nothing on her face, just casually smiled and said: “I just threw it together, I don’t even know how I made it. If sister likes it, another day when I figure out the recipe I’ll send it to you.”

Just as Jiang Wanyi was about to thank her, Lu Yun spoke: “What pastry?”

Luo Lingyu hurriedly: “Nothing…”

Lu Yun looked at Jiang Wanyi.

With the young master rarely looking at her, Jiang Wanyi felt something strange. She slowly raised her head and saw the slightly awkward atmosphere between Luo Lingyu and Lu Yun – Luo Lingyu’s proper smile had stiffened somewhat and her gaze was wandering, while Third Young Master Lu was too eerily calm.

Jiang Wanyi realized something: “Just some pastries we ate at Sister Luo’s place the other day. They were made in flower petal shapes, very delicate piece by piece, different from other pastries when biting into them, both crispy and soft, with a fragrance of flowers and sesame…”

Luo Lingyu steeled herself and looked back.

Lu Yun slowly raised his gaze to look at her.

The whispers among the ladies grew quieter as they noticed this side, all quietly observing.

Watching Lu Yun stare at Lady Luo for a while, Lu Yun said: “The pastries you’re talking about, if I’m not mistaken, are what I had people bring back from the palace when I dined there, to give to Cousin Luo.”

Luo Lingyu: “…”

She faltered slightly: “It was just a box of pastries.”

Lu Yun didn’t make a sound, but from his expression, he seemed fairly calm.

However, someone among the ladies exclaimed “Ah!”: “So Sister Luo took the pastries Third Cousin sent her and gave them to us to eat? This, this… Third Cousin, we didn’t know!”

“Sister Luo, how could you casually give away what Cousin sent you?”

Luo Lingyu silently cursed them for making things worse – even if Lu Yun wasn’t angry before, their words would make him angry. Lu Yun was already petty, and she had played a trick on him these past two days. Him not getting angry now probably meant he was waiting to settle accounts with her later…

Actually it was just a box of pastries. Different from the glass bracelet he had given her before. That time he had given it personally, this time it was just Jinyu delivering it. Lu Yun wouldn’t make a big deal over a box of pastries.

Him being privately angry with her was one thing, Luo Lingyu wasn’t afraid of him scolding her in private, she just feared him not giving her face in public. For someone as face-conscious as her… Luo Lingyu bit her lip, timidly glancing at him once, hoping he would “show mercy” and not turn against her at this time.

Luo Lingyu said pitifully: “How can you call it ‘casually giving away’? All the sisters were at my place and saw them, I couldn’t hide them and say I wouldn’t share, could I?”

Second Young Master Lu Xian had originally been talking with Liu Tang when his eyelid twitched, seeing his third brother and Cousin Luo about to argue again, and others still fanning the flames… Second Young Master got a headache and quickly came over wanting to pull Lu Yun away.

He laughed it off: “Aren’t pastries meant to be shared? The palace has plenty, sharing or not sharing, it’s only natural. Joy shared is joy doubled.”

Jiang Wanyi saw them exchanging glances again and felt a surge of anger, rather hoping Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu would have a falling out.

Jiang Wanyi rebutted Second Young Master: “…If Cousin sent me pastries, I wouldn’t turn around and give them away. How can you just give them away? It’s as if I don’t care about Cousin’s goodwill at all.”

These words went straight to Lu Yun’s heart.

His face stiffened.

Actually originally with just a box of pastries, he wasn’t that angry. He sent them to Luo Lingyu because he thought she liked eating them, and with such a box of pastries, she couldn’t finish them alone, sharing with sisters was normal. Unfortunately the problem lay in Luo Lingyu having previous incidents. The more she quibbled, the more he felt she was hiding something, the more he felt she didn’t value him.

Lu Yun gritted his teeth: “Luo…”

Seeing signs he was about to explode, Luo Lingyu decisively interrupted: “Cousin! Don’t be angry with me…” She suddenly grabbed his sleeve, her hand shaking it. She looked at him earnestly, the rice flour on her hands getting on his sleeve. The lady was anxious, tugging and shaking his arm.

Luo Lingyu said softly: “Brother Xuechen, Brother Xuechen…”

Second Young Master’s eyelid was already twitching continuously.

The Elder Madam and others over there sensed something was wrong and sent a maid to ask what the commotion was about. They saw Lu Yun shake off Luo Lingyu’s hand and turn to walk away quickly, leaving the room.

In front of everyone, Luo Lingyu apologetically smiled at people, then turned and chased after him.

The ladies in the room were dejected: “…”

Jiang Wanyi gave her maid a look, having the maid quietly go out to watch. After a while the maid returned, full of joy as she whispered a few words in Jiang Wanyi’s ear. Jiang Wanyi was delighted and found an excuse to leave the room and the courtyard. In the evening, lanterns swayed gently under the eaves, and in the overlapping layers of light, Jiang Wanyi saw Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu standing together at the corner wall outside Elder Madam’s courtyard, seemingly arguing.

The arguing sounds were extremely loud.

Lu Yun’s face was ashen, and when Luo Lingyu turned to leave, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. The lady punched his chest hard once, and the young master said something else that made the lady raise her voice in anger. They were both hitting and scolding, their shadows flickering among the bamboo shadows.

Those two were arguing quite fiercely.

Either Luo Lingyu would turn to leave and Lu Yun would grab her not letting her go; or Lu Yun would try to leave and Luo Lingyu would chase after him, grabbing his sleeve refusing to let him go.

Seeing them argue like that, Jiang Wanyi felt both scared and happy. Scared that Third Young Master Lu would forget his gentlemanly ways and hit Sister Luo; but also happy that those two were arguing so badly, thinking she would have a chance now. Jiang Wanyi felt quite despicable in her heart, and shame showed on her face.

The maid beside her: “Miss, didn’t I tell you the truth? Look at how Third Young Master Lu and that Lady Luo are arguing, they’re clearly about to break up.”

Jiang Wanyi was stunned: “Yes, arguing so fiercely, they surely can’t make up.”

She was dazed, wondering if she had really managed to separate those two people.

But then she heard Luo Lingyu violently push away Lu Yun’s hand, shouting angrily: “I’ve already said I don’t have any! I can do whatever I want, what right do you have to control me?”

Lu Yun grabbed her delicate hand, his brows pressed down, forcing her: “You ask what right I have to control you, it’s because, because…”

As tempers flared, Jiang Wanyi hiding under the eaves thought “oh no” as she saw Lu Yun drag Luo Lingyu back, coming back fiercely. Jiang Wanyi anxiously hid behind the osmanthus tree in the courtyard, but couldn’t dodge in time and was caught face-to-face by Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu. Jiang Wanyi was embarrassed and was about to force herself to greet them, but Lu Yun had already dragged Luo Lingyu past her, heading back to the main hall in the courtyard.

Lu Yun walked so fast that Luo Lingyu was being dragged along awkwardly, having to almost run to keep up, and Jiang Wanyi hurriedly followed.

In the room, Elder Madam Lu had also sent maids to pay attention to Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu’s argument. The same argument, when heard by different people, produced different results. Jiang Wanyi heard those two arguing to death and was delighted, while inside the room Elder Madam Lu and Madam Lu’s expressions weren’t too pleased.

Madam Lu: “They really argued that badly? Did Third Young Master make Lady Luo cry?”

The maid tried hard to remember: “I think so… seemed to see Lady Luo wiping tears.”

Elder Madam Lu was stunned: “…This is terrible.”

Madam Lu: “…Yes indeed.”

Third Young Master Lu normally wouldn’t make a lady cry. Those two children didn’t even return to their courtyard, starting to argue halfway, and were even seen by the maids. The young people thought arguing like this meant they must separate, but to elders like Elder Madam Lu and Madam Lu, the fiercer the argument, the deeper the feelings.

It was precisely because their feelings were deep that they could argue so. Quick to argue, but also quick to make up.

Elder Madam Lu almost broke into tears: “These two fated ones…”

She wanted to separate Lu Yun and Luo Lingyu, and had specially brought Jiang Wanyi to the family. But now it seemed Jiang Wanyi had only produced the opposite effect.

While they were worrying, footsteps had already reached outside the room. Under the bright moon and frosted ground, in the lamplight, the maid opened the curtain and Jiang Wanyi walked in, only to see Lu Yun dragging Luo Lingyu before Elder Madam Lu and dropping to his knees with a thud under everyone’s watchful eyes.

Luo Lingyu’s dark lashes were wet, feeling shy being watched by so many people: “Let go of me…”

Lu Yun’s voice was like metal and stone, decisive and firm: “Didn’t you ask what right I had to control you? Grandmother… I want to marry her!”

Turning back to look at the dumbfounded Luo Lingyu, “This way I’ll have the right to control you, right?”

Luo Lingyu’s eyes still held tears, but under the elders’ gazes, her eyes trembled as she lowered her head without blinking. The lady tried to pull her hand free from Lu Yun but couldn’t.

Luo Lingyu hid the slight triumphant look in her eyes, putting on an anxious and uneasy appearance: “No no no, cousin don’t talk nonsense… Elder Madam don’t listen to him!”

Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, Jiang Wanyi’s body went weak and she fainted.

Madam Lu calmly said: “…Lady Luo is right. Third Son, you can’t talk carelessly about this, Lady Luo still has a marriage engagement. You two get up first, don’t let everyone laugh at you.”

While Elder Madam Lu looked at the fainted Lady Jiang with frustration: …To be so inferior to Luo Lingyu, not even knowing how to compete in love properly. Perhaps Lu Yun originally didn’t want to marry Luo Lingyu, but was forced over by these foolish ladies’ words.

What sin had she committed?